The invention relates to a display stand for displaying tires or other articles of generally toroidal configuration or a portion thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a display stand having two side members which fold into a plane for storage or transporting and are positively locked in an erected position, constituting a generally pyramidal configuration, by a hook and eye-type crossbar which also acts as part of the roughly triangular resting zone for an article to be displayed. More specifically the configuration of the side members includes, base legs which substantially engage a floor or resting surface for the stand, riser posts to hold the article up off of the floor, carriage arms which with a crossbar form the resting zone for the tire or article, and dogleg offsets on the carriage arms to engage the article.
There are a number of types of stands for tires or other generally toroidal articles which have been developed for retailing or other display purposes over the years. In general, prior art developments with respect to the display of generally toroidal articles have taken two somewhat diverse approaches. One of these approaches is represented by display stands which generally grasp a tire or other such article proximate the lower extremity thereof such as to provide a support proximate a seating surface for the article to be displayed. Exemplary prior art depicting this type of approach include U.S. Pat. Nos.:
1,252,073 PA1 1,539,519 PA1 1,640,792 PA1 1,714,023 PA1 1,717,560 PA1 1,901,475 PA1 2,100,077 PA1 3,510,007 PA1 1,231,490 PA1 1,361,112 PA1 1,659,791 PA1 1,780,381 PA1 1,865,298 PA1 1,916,044 PA1 2,035,288 PA1 2,289,729 PA1 3,148,850.
Display stands of this type have proven to be generally not amenable to the display of articles of differing sizes. In addition, the gripping of a tire or other toroidal object solely about a lower portion when in a generally upright position tends to provide a decided lack of stability. In addition, this inherent deficiency in a stability sense virtually precludes the orientation of a displayed toroidal article in any orientation other than substantially vertically which under many circumstances severely limits the ability of an observes to fully perceive the various surfaces of an article from various positions relative thereto.
The other approach to the display of generally toroidal articles has been to suspend the displayed article in some manner about a hook or other retaining device which is in some manner positioned a distance above a floor or other seating surface. Prior art directed toward display stands for generally toroidal articles employing such an approach is exemplified by the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
Display stands of this type have generally exhibited a number of problems in commercial applications. In order to withstand the weight of certain types of toroidal articles, these stands have often employed relatively massive structures which prove to be structurally cumbersome to the extent of detracting in some instances from the displayed article. In addition, many of these devices are incapable of being collapsed or at least collapsing to an essentially planar form such that temporary storage or transportation become significant problems. In other instances, this type of device has proven to be somewhat unstable due to the characteristics of the material employed in the construction or because legs are employed which may penetrate a resting surface. Accordingly, the various prior art approaches to display stands for the suspension of generally toroidal articles has not produced a device which has achieved a broad commercial acceptance.